Exclusive: Blake Shelton finds grace in G*d, Gwen Stefani

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NASHVILLE Blake Shelton quit Googling himself a long time ago. The country singer said he was tired of the lies. If fans want the truth about whats happened in his life over the past 18 months, he reasoned, they need to pick up his new album, If Im Honest,which is available Friday.

I dont even know how to talk about this album as a piece of music as I do just kind of a timeline, Shelton said in an exclusive interview with The Tennessean. As country artists go, I think were supposed to sing about our life experiences, and Ive done that before, but not to this extent.

Shelton endured a widely publicized divorce from singer Miranda Lambertinsummer 2015. If Im Honestplods through the devastation of the breakupand into the hope of new love,with a full spectrum of relationship songs.

This album spans such an emotional roller coaster for him, said Sheltons producer Scott Hendricks, executive vice president of A&R at Warner Music Nashville. Every single one of these songs hassomething to do with the ride. They arent just songs Blake thought were a hit. Hes very happy right now, but hes been through a lot.

The album kicks off with upbeat drinking tune Straight Outta Cold Beer,which signifies Sheltons normal life before his divorce. The song trails off the singer described it as the bottom falling out leading into the angry heartbreak of Shes Got a Way with Words,then lonely aching in Bet You Still Think About Mebefore the album starts to turn a corner five songs in with its first single, Came Here to Forget.

I love that it kind of has a dark feel to it, but theres a little, tiny glimmer of hope in there, too, Shelton said of his Top 5 hit. Thats a good one to throw out there first because it touches on both subjects, going through the breakup trying to forget about them and now Im meeting the person thats helping me get there.

Shelton found his glimmer of hope in fellow VoicecoachGwen Stefani.Like Shelton, Stefanialso was in the midst of a high-profile divorce last summer. The pair formed a fast friendship and found comfort in their shared experience withunraveling marriages under the scrutiny of the public eye.

Sometimes when you think things couldnt be worse and you cant make it through another day, you never know whats right around the corner that can save your life thats literally what happened for me, Shelton said. The fact that we were able to be there for each other and relate to each other in that way like nobody else on earth. Theres so much out there that is crazy, to have a shoulder and somebody that can be there for you and relate and understand, it literally saved my life.

Over the course of many weeks, the pairs friendship blossomed into territory that Shelton didnt understand but he did want to impress Stefani, so last fall he started writing a song inspired by their relationship, he said.

The first thing that comes in your mind is, Golly, I just got out of a relationship. Do I really want to jump right into this again? And, can I even trust you? Are we going to do this right? Shelton recalled. Coming out of our situations, we both had trouble letting our walls down and we both had trust issues.

Shelton funneled those questions into Go Ahead and Break My Heart.He had about half of the song finished when he sang it into the voice memo on his phone and texted it to her.About two days later, Stefani texted him back the nearly finished song, which is track nine of 15 on If Im Honest.

Theres nothing about this song that isnt 100%the truth, he said.

A few weeks later in November, the couple went public with their relationship.

What makes Blake as successful as he has been is his ability to know exactly who he is and exactly what he wants to say, Hendricks said. This album has a very thought out theme from song one to song 15. There are songwriters who wondered why he turned down their hit. Now we know why. It didnt fit his life for the past 18 months.

Later songs on the album include Doing It to Country Songs,whichpresented Shelton with the opportunity to work with some of his heroes the Oak Ridge Boys. The idea to include the Country Music Hall of Famers on the party song was hatched via text between Shelton and Oaks member Joe Bonsall. Shelton flew to Nashville to be a part of the recording session, which Bonsall called "epic."

Blake is a great character and a great person, and hes been like a brother to us for many, many years, Bonsall said. Theres even a duet with me and Blake on two lines. We could be like the new Brooks & Dunn, a Moe & Joe.

The albums last song, Saviors Shadow,is a gospel song released on Christian radio that came to Shelton in a dream late last spring.

Lyrics include: Im standing in my saviors shadow/ He is watching over me/ I feel the rain/ I hear the thunder as he cries for me.

Shelton had heard songs in dreams before, but never remembered them when the dream was over. This time when he woke up, he grabbed his phone and sang the first verse into his voice memo. A few days later, the song popped into his head again and he was confused by what it meant.

I had kind of decided this song is saying that G*d feels so sorry for me that my life is such absolute c**p that even he cries when he looks at me and thinks about me, Shelton recalls. Thats how sad I am.

By the end of the summer, Shelton had shifted his thinking to believe that G*d was telling him he was journeying alongside him. Shelton finished the second verse with excitement and pride and out of a sense of responsibility to the song, and passed it along to successful songwriting couple Jessi Alexander and Jon Randall to finish.

When Blake sent us the first part, we both felt like it was Blakes Why Me, Lord," Alexander said. It came from such a raw place. We just felt like, Oh my gosh, we get to help you do this?

When the couple finished writing the song, Randall sang the lyrics into voice memo and texted them to Shelton. The singer listened to it three times and said he cried as if someone I loved just died in front of me.

I feel like I was given this song for a reason and I need to do something with it, he said. We tried our best to get it out to as many people as we can. And so far, the reaction has been really special.

In addition to his album, Sheltonalso is wrapping upseason 10 of NBCs The Voicea winner will be crowned next week. Shelton co-wrote a song for, and willvoice a character in, The Angry BirdsMovie,whichwill be released to theaters Friday. His exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, "Blake Shelton: Based on a True Story,"will open May 27.

In between high-profile events, Shelton is focused on living his life and enjoying his relationship with Stefani as far out of the spotlight as possible which he admits isnt very far.

Theres not a lot you can do, he said. You cant help it if you have 100 people following you taking pictures. I dont know what to do about it. It just is what it is.

However, Shelton is honestly happy.

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Shelton"s "Angry Birds" inspiration

Blake Shelton might have 21 No. 1 country songs to his credit, but he cant just sit down and write a song.He needs inspiration. When the opportunity arose to write a song for The Angry Birds Movie,the country singer thought the perimeters of the 3-D animated comedy might give him the creative push to get off the ground. Producer John Cohen gave Shelton the scenario, and the singer watched a bit of the movie then reached out to frequent collaborator Jessi Alexander for co-writing support.

Together they penned Friends,which Shelton said comes at a pivotal turning point in The Angry Birds Movie,whichopens in theaters nationwide Friday. The songalso is on Sheltons new album, If Im Honest,which will be in stores Friday.

I told Jessi, if the movie people dont like it Im going to put it on my record anyway, Shelton recalled. Im superexcited.

He didnt need to worry. Shelton said when he played it for Cohen, the movie executive told him they couldnt have come up with a better thing.

In addition to writing a song for the soundtrack, Shelton also portrays Earl the Big in The Angry Birds,although he joked that if someone wasnt sitting beside him in the theater, they would never know he was in the movie.

Id be like, Thats me.I just said, Yee haw,""Shelton quipped. I have a few lines, not a whole lot.

Source: http://www.kare11.com/news/nation-now/exclusive-blake-shelton-finds-grace-in-G*d-gwen-stefani_/206701666